Blogside Chat | Molly Noble Bull, Author of Gatehaven

Today, I'm pleased to host Molly Noble Bull for a Blogside Chat! Molly's sharing about her newest book, Gatehaven, the 2013 Creation House Fiction Writing Contest Winner.

Gatehaven is a Christian Gothic historical novel set in a haunting mansion in the north of England where Ian Colquhoun and Shannon Aimee battle a Frenchman with dark secrets—spiritual warfare vs. the occult. Will they learn enough about God’s words to defend themselves and others or will evil overcome them?

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i blog 4 books: Molly, thanks for stopping by today! What was the inspiration behind Gatehaven?

Molly Noble Bull: I like big old houses surrounded in mystery and unspoken secrets, and I once read a lot of scary Gothic novels like Jane Eyre. I wondered if a plotline like that would work if some of the characters were devout Christians and living a Christian lifestyle.

Gatehaven’s publication date is March 4, 2014. I guess we will learn whether or not a story like mine will have reader-appeal in the weeks and months after that date.    

ib4b: What do you hope readers will take away after reading it?

MNB: I’ve concluded that many Bible believing Christians never really read Deuteronomy chapter 18. Otherwise, they would never take part in what some might call harmless fun—occult practices like Yoga and reading their daily star-sign predictions in newspapers or magazines.

I hope Gatehaven readers with enjoy a fast-paced, vampire and werewolf-free novel with a Christian message running though it.

ib4b: Which character in Gatehaven do you most identify with?

MNB: In Gatehaven, Shannon Aimee is a naive nineteen-year-old heroine in love with love and also with a handsome young earl out to harm her.  Like Shannon, I was once a young girl in love with the wrong boy. But for the Grace of God, I might have married him.

ib4b: Are any of the characters based on people in your life?

MNB: Ian Colquhoun is kind and truly devoted to Shannon. My husband is like that.

ib4b: What did you do in your "former life"?

MNB: I’ve always loved writing, especially fiction. However, I was an elementary school teacher and later a kinder and pre-K teacher before I decided to write professionally. My first stories were written for children. As I read to my young students each day, I realized that I could write stories too, and so I did. My first sale was to a magazine for young children.

ib4b: Who encouraged your love for reading and/or writing when you were younger?

MNB: I was an only child. My dear mother read to me constantly, and I loved every minute of it. She expected me to love reading as much as she did. How could any of us have known that reading would be a problem for me after I entered public school?

I am dyslexic. In fact, I tell about my experiences in a non-fiction book I wrote with four other authors titled, The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities.

Once I could barely read at all. Today, I write books that other people read.

God is good.

ib4b: What were some of your favorite books as a child?

MNB: I loved all the Grimm Fairy tale stories, dreaming of being a princess one day. I especially liked all the Raggedy Ann and Andy books and had a Raggedy Ann doll, of course. I hope Ann and Andy stories come back in style for a new generation to read and enjoy.

ib4b: Can you tell us a bit about what you're working on now? When can we expect to see it in stores?

MNB: I now own the rights to The Rogue’s Daughter, a western romance novel I sold to Zondervan in 1986. It is set on a cattle ranch in south Texas in 1890, and I plan to make it my very first Indie e-book later in 2014.

ib4b: Do you have a "life verse" or favorite Scripture? (If so, please share it with us.)

MNB: I love to read the Old Testament as well and the New Testament, and I have gobs of favorite Bible verses. But recently, I heard a pastor on TV give an amazing one-liner regarding the political scene in 2014, and I would like to quote it here.

He said, “I’m not for the donkey or the elephant. I follow the Lamb.”

To me, that said it all.

ib4b: Molly, thank you so much for chatting with us today!

About Molly Noble Bull

Molly Noble Bull was born in Kingsville, Texas—home of the famous King Ranch. Her father and maternal grandfather were real Texas cowboys, and she enjoys writing western romances. But she also writes historical novels.

Gatehaven, her long Christian gothic set in Europe in 1784, won the 2013 Creation House Fiction Writing Contest while still a manuscript, and Gatehaven is the novel being featured today. However, Molly’ first two published novels came out from Zondervan. Her Zondervan novels were later reprinted and published as Promise Romances from Guideposts. Molly also sold novels to Love Inspired and Tsaba House, and Westbow Press published The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities, a non-fiction book she wrote with four other Christian authors. Molly owns the rights to her Zondervan romance novels now, and she will soon self publish The Rogue’s Daughter as an e-book. Rogue is a western set on a South Texas cattle ranch in 1890.

Giveaway

As part of this blog tour, Molly is giving away a print copy of Gatehaven. You may enter through the Rafflecopter below. (Note: I am not moderating this giveaway, but am posting as part of the tour.)

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Fortune Cookie by Josi S. Kilpack (Book Blast + Giveaway)

Fortune Cookie

by Josi S. Kilpack

Culinary Mystery series, #11

Available March 2014

Shadow Mountain

356 pages

About the Book

Sadie Hoffmiller has always liked things to be just so. A place for everything and everything in its place. Order over chaos. And of all things Sadie should be able to control, her own wedding is at the top of the list.

With the big day just three weeks away, Sadie is busily adding the final touches to her wedding plans but the arrival of a mysterious letter from San Francisco changes everything. The only person Sadie knows in San Francisco is her older sister, Wendy, whom she hasn’t seen since their mother’s funeral nearly fifteen years ago.

Sadie has faced off against murderers and criminals in recent years, yet the possibility of reconnecting with her sister is both overwhelming and frightening. Sadie soon discovers, however, that the letter is just the beginning when Wendy’s world turns out to be a place of unanswered questions, twisted truths, and more than one person with a motive for murder.

The more Sadie digs into her sister’s past, the more she places her own future at risk.

Note: While most of the books I feature on i blog 4 books are Christian fiction, this one is not. However, this is a clean mystery.

Buy a copy  |  Find out what others think
About the Author

Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009.  Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.

Josi S. Kilpack Online

Website  |  Blog  |  Twitter

Giveaway

The author is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash to one lucky winner. Giveaway ends April 30. Enter through the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

*** Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Inspired Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  ***

Organized for Murder (Blog Tour & Review)

Organized for Murder

by Ritter Ames

Organized Mysteries, Book 1

Fiction / Contemporary / Cozy Mystery

Available February 2014

Gemma Halliday Publishing

250 pages

About the Book

The right business hook is the most important criteria for success, and Kate McKenzie thinks she’s found a perfect one.  As an organizational expert, Kate knows Americans are running out of space and money, and renting more storage units is usually not the best solution. Starting an organizational business, Stacked in Your Favor, in her new hometown of Hazelton, Vermont seems like an answer to her family’s budget problems and an answer to southern Vermonters’ prayers.  Business looks good when she snags collector, Amelia Nethercutt, as her first client, signing on to organize the wealthy woman’s eccentrically-filled mansion.  But things take a turn beyond chaos when Amelia is murdered and Kate’s fingerprints are found on the poison that killed her.

Buy a copy  |  Find out what others think

My Thoughts

With a professional organizer as the main character—turned prime suspect and then lead "investigator"—Organized for Murder was a fun read. At times I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of characters, but that ended up adding to the enjoyment as one after the other became my prime suspect.

I enjoyed getting to know Kate and her family. At times I wanted to shout, "Are you crazy?! Don't do that!" But I suppose it wouldn't be a very fun book if everyone played by the rules all the time. *wink* I can see that she will be a fun character to follow in other books.

My one complaint is that there seemed to be a lot of discussion about what was happening in the book and the action was a little slower. However, it was still a good book! [3.5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Note: While most of the books I review on this site are Christian fiction, this book is written for the general market. There is a small amount of "language" sprinkled throughout, but otherwise this is a clean read.

About the Author

Ritter Ames lives in a small town in the middle of America, but spends each day globe trotting the art world from her laptop, with her cat riding shotgun and Pandora blasting from the speakers. COUNTERFEIT CONSPIRACIES is her first full-length fiction. A second cozy mystery series, starting with ORGANIZED FOR MURDER will be released by Gemma Halliday Publishing in January 2014. She tries to blog regularly at http://ritterames.wordpress.com/ and uses her Pinterest boards at http://www.pinterest.com/ritterames/ to capture great places and ideas she wants to use in both series. Follow her blog and boards to learn more about Ritter and her upcoming books.

Ritter Ames Online

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest

Giveaways
The author is graciously giving away an e-copy of one of her books (Counterfeit Conspiracies or Organized Murder) to one of my readers! Open internationally. Giveaway ends April 8. Enter through the Giveaway Tools widget below.

Entry-Form

There is also a Grand Prize Giveaway for this tour! The prize is a hard copy of Organized Murder and some organizational goodies. Enter through the Rafflecopter below. Note: I am not facilitating this giveaway but am posting as part of the tour.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday | A Broken Kind of Beautiful

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is ...

A Broken Kind of Beautiful by Katie Ganshert

WaterBrook Multnomah | April 15, 2014

About the Book

Sometimes everything you ever learned about yourself is wrong

Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four year old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she’s learned a sacred truth—appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows—so when it starts to unravel, she’ll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother’s bridal wear line—an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white.

If only her tenuous future didn’t rest in the hands of Davis Knight, her mysterious new photographer. Not only did he walk away from the kind of success Ivy longs for to work maintenance at a local church, he treats her differently than any man ever has. Somehow, Davis sees through the façade she works so hard to maintain. He, along with a cast of other characters, challenges everything Ivy has come to believe about beauty and worth. Is it possible that God sees her—a woman stained and broken by the world—yet wants her still?

Why I Can't Wait to Read It 
I've loved both of Katie's previous novels. She writes with such emotion, and I'm looking forward to reading another novel that will touch me in the same way her other stories have.

Compassion Prayer Partners | Active

Compassion sends out a monthly prayer partner newsletter from Mark Hanlon, Senior Vice President of Compassion International. I love their suggestions of how to pray for our sponsored kids and thought that I would begin sharing these each month. Click here to download the April prayer calendar. 

Children can be so loving and caring — except when they’re not. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a parent, it’s that children don’t automatically know what is “pure and right.” A child will learn to hurt just as quickly as he will learn to help. And it is our responsibility, our privilege even, to demonstrate for our children those actions that show love.

Especially among children in severe poverty, the temptation can be to become hard — to form a shell of protection. And that’s why I love that Compassion helps children fight social and emotional poverty as much as we fight physical poverty. At our child development centers, children see Christ’s love in very real, very tangible ways. The adults around them are living models of pure and right — and the children we serve learn from that.

This month, will you pray that those life lessons become real in the hearts of the children we serve? Pray that those hard shells soften, and that hearts full of light and kindness break forth and glorify God.

Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right. 

Proverbs 20:11, NIV

Answered Prayers

Praise God with us that in the first seven months of Compassion’s fiscal year, 52,389 children received new sponsors from the U.S. alone!

Thank God for the incredible labor of love by thousands of staff at our frontline child development centers around the world — not only as they nurture children each day but also as they go “beyond the call” to help children and their families in emergency or disaster situations. These are the true heroes of Compassion’s ministry!

Praise God that no injuries have been reported among Compassion children in the devastating slum fire in Dhaka, Bangladesh. All were safely attending the Senpara Child Development Center at the time of the fire.

Pierre in Togo suffered from heart failure that caused him to feel extremely weak and sick. After receiving medications and treatment, his last checkup revealed that he has totally recovered!

Praise God for successful surgery to remove an enlarged kidney from Ganesh in India. He is now out of danger and recovering quickly!

Praise God that Aisha and Afredi in Bangladesh are completely healed from typhoid fever!

Praise God that training is completed and Compassion’s Child Survival Program is ready to be implemented in Guatemala! 

All children mentioned have sponsors and their monetary needs are supplied.

A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander (Sneak Peek)

I'm thrilled to be part of the Launch Team for Tamera Alexander's latest novel, A Beauty So Rare. I thought it would be fun to share a sneak peek and the trailer. I'll be posting my review in the weeks to come!

A Beauty So Rare by Bethany House Publishers

Top Ten "Gateway" Books in My Reading Journey

To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see a list of future topics click here!

Top Ten "Gateway" Books In My Reading Journey
After seeing so many blogging buddies participate in this weekly meme over the years, I've decided to jump in. I may not participate every week, but I'm planning to post when the topic interests me.

It was hard to narrow this list down to only 10 ... but these are the first 10 books that came to mind.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter: This was my favorite book as a child, so I think I can say this is the book that started it all!

Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene: These are some of the first mysteries I remember reading, and I've been a fan of mystery and suspense novels ever since!

Christy Miller series by Robin Jones Gunn: I distinctly remember receiving this series for Christmas when I was in 7th grade! This was my first introduction to Christian fiction.

The O'Malley series by Dee Henderson: This series introduced me to a more adult level of both Christian fiction and mystery/suspense. And what an introduction it was!

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers: I started this book three times before I finished it. When I finally did, I read more of her books and loved them all! Plus, these books kept me company while I was working night shift when I lived in South Africa, so they'll always have a special place in my heart.

Rick & Bubba's Big Honkin' Book of Grub by Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey: This was the first book I ever reviewed on i blog 4 books. I reviewed a few on a personal blog previously, but this was my first official ib4b review!

She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell: After reading this book, I realized that I truly did love historical fiction! 

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen: This was an incredible introduction (for me) to the world of regency and upstairs/downstairs type novels. I've enjoyed quite a few since then!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Thanks to this trilogy I've discovered quite a few YA dystopian novels and enjoyed them tremendously!

A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet by Sophie Hudson: After reading this book last summer, I realized that I do enjoy reading non-fiction books from time to time!